Seduced to Slay: Where is Elizabeth Turpin now?

A Lexington resident, Elizabeth Turpin was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for a murder-for-hire plot to have her husband of five months, Michael Turpin, killed. Elizabeth and her then-girlfriend Karen Brown paid Keith Bouchard, one of their colleagues at Superior Nissan, to kill Michael for his $60,000 life insurance policy.

According to the Lexington Herald Leader, Michael Turpin's body was found in February 1986, in a pond at the Lakeside Golf Course in Lexington, Kentucky. His body had multiple stab wounds. Following an investigation, all three of them, Elizabeth Turpin, Karen Brown, and Keith Bouchard were sentenced to life in prison.

Elizabeth, who is 57 years old now is serving her sentence in the Western Kentucky Correction Complex in Fredonia, Kentucky. It is worth noting that both Turpin and Brown were eligible for parole after 25 years but were denied the same in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

A recent episode of Seduced to Slay showcased the 1986 murder of 22-year-old Michael Turpin. Titled Three-Ring Murder, the episode aired on January 15, 2024, at 10 pm EST on Investigation Discovery. The synopsis of the episode read:

"After a whirlwind romance at college, Michael and Elizabeth marry. But when Michael's body is found on a local golf course, the dark truth emerges."

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Who was Elizabeth Turpin? Details explored

Elizabeth Zehnder was a student at the University of Kentucky when she met Michael Turpin. Michael was a student of accounting and an active member of the marching band where Elizabeth was a flag girl.

The two fell in love and married soon after graduation at Lexington’s Immanuel Baptist Church on August 24, 1985. Elizabeth was known to have a life distinctly different from Michael's as she reportedly spent quite some time partying with friends. Michael was known to be an outgoing person but lived a laid-back life compared to his new wife.

The young couple settled down in Lexington, Kentucky, and Elizabeth Turpin took up a job at the Superior Nissan car dealership on Nicholasville Road. Close friends of the Turpins reported that the couple faced issues in the marriage due to the difference in their outlook on life. Michael wanted to settle down while Elizabeth preferred to continue living her partying lifestyle as a 19-year-old.

During her parole hearing held in 2021, Elizabeth shared that at the time, she was "very immature" and "very selfish."

“He and I, during the time that we dated and the time we lived together and were married, we both drank alcohol, I drank alcohol to excess.” She said.

Elizabeth also reportedly used cocaine and grew close to her colleague and a local drug supplier Karen Brown. The two also allegedly ended up having a romantic relationship with each other.

Elizabeth Turpin devised a plan with Karen Brown and paid another colleague Keith Bouchard, to have 22-year-old Michael Turpin killed. Elizabeth was the sole beneficiary of Michael's $60,000 life insurance plan. Several witnesses also testified that Brown and Elizabeth often discussed killing Michael for the money, per court documents.

Michael was reported missing on February 3, 1986, and a few days later his body was recovered from a local lake in Lexington's Lakeside Golf Course. He had been stabbed at least 19 times by Karen Brown and Keith Bouchard on February 3, 1986.

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Where is Elizabeth Turpin now?

Both Elizabeth Turpin and Karen Brown were sentenced to life in prison without parole eligibility for 25 years on the charges of first-degree murder. Bouchard pled guilty to his charges in exchange for a life sentence without the possibility of parole. However, he testified against the two women and confirmed the murder plan being made for the insurance money.

Brown and Turpin completed their 25 years required for parole but were barred from appealing for parole and are required to serve out their sentence. So far, Elizabeth has completed 31 classes, received multiple degrees, and remarried during her time at the Western Kentucky Correctional Complex in Fredonia, Kentucky.